Wetherby, 2006 Page 1

SCERTS:
A Transactional-Developmental
Implementing the SCERTS
Intervention Model for ASD
Model for Young Children with
Autism Spectrum Barry Prizant
Amy Wetherby
Emily Rubin
***** Amy Laurent
Amy M. Wetherby, Ph.D. Pat Rydell
Florida State University
www.brookespublishing.com

SCERTS Who is the SCERTS Model for?

Intervention Model
S- SOCIAL Social Partner – pre-symbolic means to
communicate (gestures and/or vocalizations)
C- COMMUNICATION
E- EMOTIONAL Language Partner – early symbolic means to
communicate (speech, pictures/picture symbols,
R- REGULATION signs)
T- TRANSACTIONAL
Conversational Partner – sentence and
S- SUPPORT conversational level discourse to communicate
Prizant, Wetherby, Rubin, Laurent, & Rydell (in press)

What are the Active Ingredients of

Is the SCERTS Model Simply
Effective Programs for Children with ASD?
an Eclectic Approach? (National Research Council, 2001: www.nap.edu)

Intensity matters
Is not a patchwork of different approaches
Active engagement for 25 hour per week
Is a logical and integrated framework that Early is better
is derived from current research Intervention by 3 ½ years is more effective than after 5 years
a comprehensive curricular framework Family participation is essential
a team process Families were a critical component in effective programs
specific guidelines for determining priorities, Goals need to be individualized and monitored regularly
and attainable and measurable goals Goals and supports need to target behavior, social, and
for a wide range of persons with ASD academic challenges
Progress should be documented within 3 months

Seminar presented at the ASHA 2006 Annual Convention, Miami, Florida

Wetherby, 2006 Page 2

NRC Recommendations for

Early is the key Meaningful Outcome Measures

Early core deficits of

1. Gains in initiation of spontaneous
ASD may lead to a
communication in functional activities
cascading effect on
brain development that 2. Generalization of gains across
arise from • Activities
impoverished social • Partners (adults and peers)
interaction.
• Environments
(Mundy & Burnette, 2005)

Criteria for Determining Goals in the

THE SCERTS MODEL is SCERTS Model

Child (person) centered 1) Functional - What difference will this make in a

child’s life?
Activity based
2) Family Priorities – Do family members value goals?
Developmentally grounded
3) Developmental – goals based on child’s
developmental capacities (partner stages)
Family centered

Core Challenges – Joint Attention

Social Communication

Joint Attention Difficulty orienting and attending to a social

partner and sharing emotion
capacity to coordinate and share attention Difficulty coordinating attention between
and interest with another person people and objects / events (engaging in
intentional communication).
Symbol Use Difficulty drawing another’s attention to
objects or events for the purpose of sharing
capacity to learn conventional or shared experiences.
meanings for symbols Difficulty reading / sharing affect, emotional
states, or perspectives.

Seminar presented at the ASHA 2006 Annual Convention, Miami, Florida

Wetherby, 2006 Page 3

Core Challenges – Symbol Use Joint Attention Goals

(87 objectives across 3 partner stages)

Difficulty learning “shared” meanings for 1. Engages in reciprocal interaction

gestures and words (i.e., limitations in 2. Shares attention
conventional gestures and symbolic
language). 3. Shares emotions
Use of unconventional ways of 4. Shares intentions for a range of functions
communicating (echolalia, self-injury)
5. Persists and repairs in communication
Difficulty pretending in play
6. Shares experiences in reciprocal interaction

Symbol Use Goals

Emotional Regulation
(85 objectives across 3 partner stages)

1. Expands learning strategies: imitation,

observation, instruction, collaboration Emotional Regulation is a core
2. Understands nonverbal cues developmental process underlying
3. Participates in play and recreation attention, arousal, and the
establishment of social relationships.
4. Uses of gestures and nonverbal behavior
(Prizant, Wetherby, & Rydell, 2000).
5. Understands and use generative language to
express a variety of meanings
6. Follows rules of conversation

Emotional Regulation Optimal State of Arousal

(Prizant, Wetherby & Rydell, 2000)

Our emotions decide what is

A state of being in which a child is focused,
worth paying attention can problem solve, can communicate
to emotions are constantly effectively,and benefit from learning
opportunities in his/her environment.
regulating what we experience
as reality. (Pert, 1997) Coincides with demands of the social and
physical environment.

Seminar presented at the ASHA 2006 Annual Convention, Miami, Florida

Wetherby, 2006 Page 4

EMOTIONAL STATE AND

PHYSIOLOGICAL AROUSAL PHYSIOLOGICAL STATE
A continuum of bio-behavioral states
Emotions and bodily sensations are
1. Deep Sleep intricately intertwined. Every change
2. Drowsy in the physiological state is
3. Quiet Alert accompanied by an appropriate
4. Active Alert change in the mental emotional
5. Agitated or Overly Excited state (and vice-versa).
6. Extremely Dysregulated Pert (1997)

Emotional Regulation
Self Regulation vs. Mutual Regulation Critical Capacities in Development
(Prizant, Wetherby & Rydell, 2000)
(Prizant et al., 2005)

A child is most “available” for learning when he/she

is better able to:
Self Regulation Mutual Regulation
The ability to attain The ability to solicit attend to the most relevant information in an
an optimal level of and secure activity or setting;
assistance from process verbal and nonverbal information;
arousal initiate interactions using the most sophisticated
others in regulating
independently language and communication strategies in one’s
one’s arousal. repertoire;
actively participate in everyday activities.

Emotional Regulation;
The 4 A’s of Behavior
(Lester, Freier & LeGrasse, 1995; Anzalone & Williamson,
2000)
Optimal State of Arousal
Arousal Level
Children with ASD typically have a
narrow window of optimal arousal
resulting in fluctuating responses to
Attention Affect sensory input and variation in behavior
secondary to poor self and mutual
regulation of the 4 A’s.
Action

Seminar presented at the ASHA 2006 Annual Convention, Miami, Florida

Wetherby, 2006 Page 5

Emotional Regulation Strategies

Developmental Progression
Behavior Management
Behavioral (SP)

Language (LP)

Emotional Regulation Metacognitive (CP)

Self-Regulation Goals Mutual Regulation Goals

(60 objectives across 3 partner stages) (57 objectives across 3 partner stages)

1. Demonstrate availability for learning and 1. Express range of emotions

interacting 2. Respond to assistance offered by others
2. Use strategies appropriate to developmental level
to regulate level of arousal during familiar
3. Respond to feedback and guidance
activities regarding behavior
(behavioral, language and metacognitive) 4. Request others' assistance to regulate
3. Regulate emotion during new and changing emotional state
situations 5. Recover from extreme dysregulation
4. Recover from extreme dysregulation by self with support from partners

The SCERTS Model of Intervention

Transactional Support TRANSACTIONAL SUPPORT
learning occurs in the social context of Interpersonal Supports
everyday activities, ways for partners to adjust language use, emotional expression
supports are used to optimize the back-and- and interactive style that are effective in helping a child with
forth interaction between the child and ASD process language, participate in social interaction, and
partners in his/her learning environment maintain well-regulated states
supports need to be infused across a child’s
daily activities, and Learning Supports
across all social partners who interact with a ways for partners to arrange the environment, structure activities,
child (e.g., parents, other caregivers, siblings, provide visual supports, and adapt or modify the curriculum to
and peers). foster social communication and emotional regulation and
support success in learning

Seminar presented at the ASHA 2006 Annual Convention, Miami, Florida

Wetherby, 2006 Page 6

Interpersonal Support Goals Learning Support Goals

(99 objectives across 3 partner stages) (75 objectives across 3 partner stages)

1. Partner is responsive to child 1. Partner structures activity for active

2. Partner fosters initiation participation
2. Partner uses augmentative system
3. Partner respects child's independence to foster development
4. Partner sets stage for engagement 3. Partner uses visual and organizational
5. Partner provides developmental support supports
6. Partner adjusts language input 4. Partner modifies goals, activities,
7. Partner models appropriate behaviors and learning environment

SCERTS Assessment Process

(SAP) Implementing SAP
to establish a child’s profile of developmental
strengths and needs Information is gathered from multiple sources
to determine meaningful, purposeful, and SAP-Report
motivating goals based on a child’s profile and
functional needs information reported by parents, teachers,
to select the most appropriate learning contexts and/or other familiar caregivers
and teaching strategies
to determine the necessary transactional support
(interpersonal support, learning support, support to
families)
to monitor progress over time

Implementing SAP SAP Domains & Components

Social Communication
Information is gathered from multiple sources
Joint Attention
SAP-Report Symbol Use
information reported by parents, teachers, Emotional Regulation
and/or other familiar caregivers Self-Regulation
SAP-Observation Mutual Regulation
information based on naturalistic observation Transaction Support
and, if needed, behavior sampling Interpersonal Supports
Learning Supports

Seminar presented at the ASHA 2006 Annual Convention, Miami, Florida

Wetherby, 2006 Page 7

Social Emotional Growth Indicators SAP Steps

Happiness: the capacity to experience and express positive emotion from
everyday activities Integrate Information with the
Sense of Self: the capacity to take pride in one's special qualities and
achievements
Sense of Other: the capacity to understand the perspective of others
SAP- Summary Form
Active Learning and Organization: the capacity to be engaged actively
and organized in learning activities
Flexibility and Resilience: the ability to flow with changes and stick with
new challenges
Cooperation and Appropriateness of Behavior: the capacity to
cooperate and regulate behavior in social interaction
Independence: the ability to use one's own resources to be successful
Social Membership and Friendship: the capacity to be part of a social
group and develop a network of friends

SAP Steps SEVEN SCERTS Principles

1) SC goals emphasize functional use of
Ongoing Tracking language and communication in natural
Daily Tracking Log settings.
2) A child’s ER and its effect on
Weekly Tracking Log communication, interaction, and learning
Quarterly SAP and arousal states are monitored
continuously.
3) Approaches to problem behavior are
integrated with SC and ER.

SEVEN SCERTS Principles How are SCERTS Goals Selected?

4) Environments are arranged and activities are

designed to foster motivation and encourage Goals must be functional
initiation of communication.
5) TS are used to promote active and independent
participation in activities. Goals must address family priorities
6) Learning and playing with peers is an essential
component of education.
7) The development of positive relationships Goals must be developmentally
among professionals and family members is the appropriate
foundation for successful collaboration.

Seminar presented at the ASHA 2006 Annual Convention, Miami, Florida

Wetherby, 2006 Page 8

MA & PA Approach:
Meaningful And Purposeful Activities SCERTS Activity Planning

4 levels on a continuum from least to most natural: Plan Morning and Afternoon Schedule
Incorporate Child SC & ER Objectives
Planned activity routines (PARs) within at least 3 activities
Engineered activities and environments Incorporate Partner TS Objectives within at
Modified natural activities and environments least 3 activities
Naturally occurring events and environments

SCERTS Social Communication

COMMUNICATION STAGES Objectives for R. at 20 months
JOINT ATTENTION
Social Partner Stage JA 2.2 Shifts gaze between people and objects
JA 3.2 Shares positive emotion using facial expressions or
transition to communicating with vocalizations
JA 4.3 Requests help or other actions with gestures or sounds
purpose or intent JA 7.1 Uses appropriate rate of communication for context
JA 6.1 Comments on objects
transition to conventional gestures and SYMBOL USE
vocalizations SU 1.1 Takes turns by repeating own actions or sounds
SU 3.1 Uses familiar objects conventionally toward self
SU 4.4 Uses conventional contact gestures (give, show, reach, point/touch)
SU 5.2 Uses a variety of consonant + vowel combinations

Emotional Regulation TRANSACTIONAL SUPPORT

Objectives for R. at 20 months Objectives for R. at 20 months
SELF-REGULATION
INTERPERSONAL SUPPORT
SR 1.2 Shows interest in a variety of sensory and social IS 1.6 Partner imitates child
experiences IS 2.2 Partner waits and encourages initiations
SR 1.4 Initiates bids for interaction IS 4.1 Gets down on child’s level when communicating
SR 2.2 Uses behavioral strategies to increase and decrease IS 6.2 Adjusts complexity of language input to child’s developmental level
arousal level during social interactions IS 7.5 Models “child-perspective” language
SR 3.1 Anticipates other’s actions in familiar routines LEARNING SUPPORT
LS 1.1 Creates turn-taking opportunities and leaves spaces for child to fill in
MUTUAL REGULATION LS 2.1 Uses AAC to enhance child’s communication & expressive language
MR1.1 Expresses happiness LS 3.1 Uses support to define steps within a task
MR 2.3 Responds to bids for interaction LS 4.4 Arranges learning environment to enhance attention and motivation
MR 3.2 Shares positive emotion to seek interaction LS 4.8 Provides activities to promote initiations and extended interaction

Seminar presented at the ASHA 2006 Annual Convention, Miami, Florida